SC congressman pushes for national right to work law

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC0, pictured above, is the sponsor of the National Right To Work Act | Instagram.com/RepJoeWilson

Re-introducing
the National Right To Work Act in the 115th Congress was something Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) believes not only makes sense, but is paramount
to economic growth.

“It is simple -- right to work creates jobs,” Wilson told Palmetto
Business Daily. “On average, right to work states have more economic
opportunities, increased worker freedom, and lower unemployment.”

Wilson,
along with Rep. Steve King (R-IA), introduced the bill this
month, seeking to end provisions in federal law that allow labor unions to require all workers to pay union dues, even if a worker does not wish to join the union.

Twenty-eight states have right to work laws, with Missouri being the latest state to
adopt the law on Feb. 6.

New
Hampshire came close to becoming the 29th state to adopt the law
last week, but the House of Representatives rejected the law with a 200-177 vote.

Employees who do not work in right to work
states can choose not to to join a workplace union, but are still required to
pay at least a portion of the dues if the
organization they work for is unionized.

Some states
have been hesitant to enact right to work laws because they feel
there isn't enough evidence on how it affects labor in states that are
right to work.

“Nothing in
this legislation prevents people from joining unions or prevents unions from operating,”
Wilson said. “It simply makes union membership optional, rather than
mandatory.”

Most
Americans favor right to work laws, King said in a press release.

“Today,
around 80 percent of Americans overwhelmingly believe that every worker and
their employer should have the power to negotiate the terms of their
employment,” he said. “Unfortunately, when Congress enacted the National Labor
Relations Act in 1935, this right was taken away from the people and Americans
were forced to pay union dues and abide by the union’s rules just to get or
keep a job.”

Right to
work proposals have been introduced in the past, but this time around there may
be a greater chance of passing the legislation due to Republicans controlling
Congress and the White House.

Leacy Burke, communications director
for the Rep. Wilson, said support for these laws has grown
over the years.

“Similar
legislation has been introduced in the past, but we believe that this year, the
legislation could garner more support than ever before as more and more states
choose to pass right to work laws,” Burke said.

Wilson has
been a longtime advocate of right to work and the Employee Rights Act in South
Carolina and believes every worker should have the right to choose what they
feel is best and not be forced to pay dues as a condition of their employment.

“Right-to-work
states, like South Carolina, have seen first-hand that job creation and
economic growth comes from expanded freedoms,” Wilson said in the statement. “We
need to expand common-sense reforms, like those in the National Right to Work
Act, to protect American workers and create jobs.”

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